Showing herself to be a feisty little blond, Kacie Alpers was crowned Miss Riverbank at Friday's well-attended pageant and awarded the $1,000 college scholarship, the glittery tiara and the right to preside over city ceremonies for the next year.
"It's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward - I like that," said master of ceremonies Gary Vernon in quoting and commenting on Alpers' favorite quote attributed to Rocky Balboa.
Eclipsing a multicolored rainbow of evening gowns in a scarlet, flounced version, Kristy Cappell was named runner up and will receive the $500 prize. Kelly Erazo was chosen Miss Congeniality by her peers.
The six contestants, Mytee Castillo, Ashley Edwards, Stesha Orr, Alpers, Cappell and Erazo were judged on a prior interview, a prepared speech titled "Riverbank Then and Now," day wear of their own choosing suitable for a luncheon, ribbon cutting or day festival, evening wear for a formal evening event and their answer to an impromptu question presented on stage.
Two contestants for a Junior Miss Riverbank title, Courtney Floyd and Emily Blevins read their own poems onstage and Floyd chosen the winner.
Alpers' activities include drama club - she played the lead role in the club's spring production of Alice in Wonderland - cheerleading, in which she has captained the school team for four years, snow skiing and jazz and tap dancing.
At school, she boasts an All Bruin sports award and a Renaissance silver card for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and was accepted at all the colleges to which she applied.
"My mother Polly Alpers would be my biggest influence in my personal and professional life," she said of her inspiration. "She has taught me to be respectful and work hard. She has brought me up with love and raised me to trust God with my life always."
Upon graduation from RHS, Alpers plans to attend California State University at Stanislaus, major in business and "become an entrepreneur."
In her speech on the required theme "Riverbank Then and Now," Alpers recalled the creation of the Cheese and Wine Exposition in 1977 by the owners of the city's two cheese factories, "who sat down in a packing shed to plan the first festival" with the help of Chamber of Commerce members and the city's local weather watcher Lloyd Courtney, who recommended the second weekend in October for its good weather.
"It's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward - I like that," said master of ceremonies Gary Vernon in quoting and commenting on Alpers' favorite quote attributed to Rocky Balboa.
Eclipsing a multicolored rainbow of evening gowns in a scarlet, flounced version, Kristy Cappell was named runner up and will receive the $500 prize. Kelly Erazo was chosen Miss Congeniality by her peers.
The six contestants, Mytee Castillo, Ashley Edwards, Stesha Orr, Alpers, Cappell and Erazo were judged on a prior interview, a prepared speech titled "Riverbank Then and Now," day wear of their own choosing suitable for a luncheon, ribbon cutting or day festival, evening wear for a formal evening event and their answer to an impromptu question presented on stage.
Two contestants for a Junior Miss Riverbank title, Courtney Floyd and Emily Blevins read their own poems onstage and Floyd chosen the winner.
Alpers' activities include drama club - she played the lead role in the club's spring production of Alice in Wonderland - cheerleading, in which she has captained the school team for four years, snow skiing and jazz and tap dancing.
At school, she boasts an All Bruin sports award and a Renaissance silver card for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and was accepted at all the colleges to which she applied.
"My mother Polly Alpers would be my biggest influence in my personal and professional life," she said of her inspiration. "She has taught me to be respectful and work hard. She has brought me up with love and raised me to trust God with my life always."
Upon graduation from RHS, Alpers plans to attend California State University at Stanislaus, major in business and "become an entrepreneur."
In her speech on the required theme "Riverbank Then and Now," Alpers recalled the creation of the Cheese and Wine Exposition in 1977 by the owners of the city's two cheese factories, "who sat down in a packing shed to plan the first festival" with the help of Chamber of Commerce members and the city's local weather watcher Lloyd Courtney, who recommended the second weekend in October for its good weather.
